Remembering Adam “MCA” Yauch – Hip Hop’s Most Lovable Punk

Last Friday we lost Adam Yauch aka MCA of the Beastie Boys. He was 47 and was battling a public-known fight against cancer.

Yauch was the founding member of The Beastie Boys, which started out as a New York hardcore punk band known for their party attitude and crazy shows. Eventually the band met up with a young Rick Rubin and made Licensed To Ill, one of the few albums that can truly be considered “game changing”. They combined their party spirit of punk with elements of hip-hop to make a new kind of record that attracted millions. They continued to make great records (Paul’s Boutique is also an essential album) and have remained one of music’s most lovable bands.

Yauch was also known to some people as Nathanial Hörnblowér, who used this pseudonym when directing the band’s videos. He was also a strong advocate for social justice in Tibet and helped organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996.